“He’s had a horror run with his shoulder but came back strong this season, and I’m looking forward to watching Scotland’s games.
“He’s a guy who has never forgotten where he comes from and who puts family first, which is why I guess he moved overseas (to play for Welsh club Scarlets).
“When you get injured as a professional, you have to start looking at family security. But at 27 and recovered from his injury, he’s got plenty of rugby in him yet.
“A good illustration of the type of guy he is was when we took a group of our under-18 kids to the Hurricanes base in Wellington and Blade was there to meet them.
“He held the door open and shook the hands of every one of them He’s a great role model for our kids. He has shown that with hard work you can make it.”
Auckland-born Thomson, eligible for Scotland through his paternal grandfather, made his debut for Boys’ High first 15 in 2006 as a 15-year-old.
He went on to become a key player in the 2007 Gisborne team who won the national secondary schools title, then travelled to Japan with the side to compete in the World Rugby Youth Invitational tournament.
After leaving school, Thomson joined Taranaki, who at one stage had nine former Gisborne Boys’ High players in its squad.
He was a member of the New Zealand under-20 team who won the 2010 junior world cup in Argentina.
And along with two players who went on to make the All Blacks — Charlie Ngatai (ex-GBHS) and James Broadhurst (ex-Campion College) — and Jamison Gibson-Park (ex-GBHS), Thomson helped Taranaki win their historic first NPC first division title in 2014.
Thomson left Wellington for Wales at the end of the 2018 Super Rugby season, admitting that the prospects of playing international rugby for Scotland’s Bravehearts was a “consideration”.
Scarlets — coached by former Auckland and now Welsh coach Wayne Pivac — was his first priority, he said.
“If it (getting picked for Scotland) happens it happens. We’ll cross that bridge when and if it comes.”
That time has come.
Thomson, along with Australian Sam Johnson and former England youth international Sam Skinner, were named in a 40-man squad for the upcoming autumn internationals as Scotland cast an eye towards next year’s Rugby World Cup.
Former New Zealander Sean Maitland is also in the squad.
Scotland coach Gregor Townsend said Thomson had been on his radar for some time.
“He is probably the most established out of the three, given he’s a bit older and he’s played Super Rugby for the last two or three seasons,” Townsend said.
“We’ve known about him for a few years, his Scottish qualification. I was always interested in potentially signing him for Glasgow, but he’d missed a lot of rugby over a two-year period with shoulder injuries.
“It’s been great to see that he’s been fully fit the last 12 months playing at No.8 for the Hurricanes and now playing very well for the Scarlets, both at No.8 and blindside flanker.”
Thomson is in line to make his debut in the November tests against Wales, Fiji, South Africa or Argentina.
Scotland face Wales in Cardiff on November 3 then play at their Murrayfield home ground against Fiji on November 10, South Africa a week later, and Argentina on November 24.
The Scots have been drawn in Pool A for the Rugby World Cup, alongside hosts Japan, Ireland, Russia and Samoa.
